Effects of cyproterone acetate and a long-acting LHRH analogue on serum lipoproteins in patients with carcinoma of the prostate.

Fasting serum lipoproteins were measured in 10 untreated patients with carcinoma of the prostate (Group I), 17 patients with non-malignant urological disorders (Group II), and 12 patients on cyproterone acetate (Group III) and 5 on a long-acting luteinizing hormone-releasing hormone (LHRH) analogue (Group IV) for at least 2 months for carcinoma of the prostate. Total high-density lipoprotein (HDL) cholesterol levels were significantly lower in patients in Group III than all the other groups. Very low-density lipoprotein (VLDL) triglyceride levels were significantly higher in patients in Group III than those in Groups II and IV. These results suggest a potentially adverse effect of cyproterone acetate, but not of the long-acting LHRH analogue, on serum lipids, which is likely to be of relevance only in younger patients.